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NEWS FEBRUARY 1, 2021 ¦ 5

‘Go Back to China’: AG William Tong Says
He Faced Racism Over Coronavirus

By Robert Storace

An outspoken critic of the policies of former
President Donald Trump, Connecticut At-
torney General William Tong said he saw
something more sinister in Trump’s rhetoric when
it came to Chinese Americans like himself—and
blaming them for the coronavirus.
Tong, who fought the Trump administration on
issues ranging from clean air to deportations, said
“on my own social media pages, I saw an uptick in
anti-Asian hateful rhetoric.”
“I was told to ‘Go back to China, and called the
‘Manchurian AG,’” Tong said. “At the core of these
racist tropes was a president seeking to deflect blame
for his own failed response to COVID-19.”
Tong, 47, sat down to answer five questions. His
responses are edited for length and clarity. Connecticut Attorney General William Tong.

Courtesy photo

Connecticut Law Tribune: Your office had many We don’t have the luxury in our office of picking
legal disagreements with former President Trump one battle or priority. It’s our job to defend the state
on topics ranging from the environment to immi- and to stand up for Connecticut families in fights
gration and civil rights. What was the biggest legal big or small.
victory against the former administration and why? Whether it is defending the state’s ability to com-
Attorney General William Tong: One that comes bat the COVID-19 pandemic, helping a family
to mind as especially important was our victory over targeted by an unscrupulous home improvement
the Trump administration’s craven attempts to delay contractor, or taking on some of the world’s largest
the delivery of ballots via the U.S. Postal Service. multinational corporations, you can never predict
This was a deliberate effort to delegitimize and de- where the next challenge will arise.
stabilize our election, and one of their many attempts CLT: In November 2020, Purdue Pharma pleaded
to make voting more difficult for Americans. In the guilty to kickbacks and a conspiracy related to defraud-
months before the presidential election, we also filed ingthegovernment.Youroffice,aswellasotherattorneys
countless lawsuits or amicus briefs defending the general in the country, have said lawsuits against the
rights of Americans to cast their ballots safely and company for how it marketed its opioid products will
with the confidence that their vote would be counted. continue. Where does that litigation stand?
CLT: You took office two years ago this month. Tong: Last year was pivotal in our fight for justice
What’s the most compelling or urgent legal matter and accountability against the addiction industry,
that you want to tackle that hasn’t been fully ad- but the work is far from over.
dressed? Our opioids team is at the center of these com-
Tong: You will see our office continue to take on plex and contentious national investigations and
a strong national role with regards to opioids, pre- litigation to ensure every possible dollar and the
scription drug prices, Big Tech and climate change.
¦ Continued on PAGE 6

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